Following Hip Replacement Recall, DePuy Names New President

Warsaw, INDePuy Orthopaedics, a unit of Johnson & Johnson that has been heavily scrutinized and hit with substantial legal action over its hip replacement recall, recently named Andrew Ekdahl as its new president.

According to a release from the company, Ekdahl will be charged with heading up the company's orthopaedic business and will serve on the firm's management board.

Ekdahl, who has held a variety of positions with DePuy and Johnson & Johnson throughout his tenure of more than 20 years, most recently served as franchise vice president of DePuy Europe, Middle East and Africa.

Bloomberg reports that the appointment of Ekdahl as the company's new president comes after the resignation of former president David Floyd in March, who said he was leaving to pursue other interests.

The new president also takes over as DePuy continues to face legal troubles over its August 2010 recall of its ASR XL Acetabular metal-on-metal hip replacement system. The Greater Milwaukee Business Journal reports that to date, 80 lawsuits have been filed on behalf of injured Wisconsin residents and their families against DePuy, claiming the devices caused them serious physical harm.

"This DePuy Hip Replacement System has been used in tens of thousands of patients across the country and approximately 93,000 patients worldwide," said an attorney representing some of the plaintiffs. "The failure of this recalled hip replacement system has created the potential for a lifetime of negative consequences for patients and their families, instead of creating the lifetime of mobility and activity that they had bargained for."

READ MORE DEPUY HIP REPLACEMENT LEGAL NEWS

The news source reports that the recall of the device followed research indicating that the five-year failure rate of the products was higher than 13 percent. Additionally, patients reported a number of health issues as a result of the devices including increased metal ion levels in their blood, and damage to tissues, nerves and muscles, according to the news source.

The latest DePuy lawsuits are not limited to Wisconsin, however, as a Louisiana woman recently sued the company along with Ochsner Baptist Medical Center, claiming she received a defective hip replacement, according to the Louisiana Record.

The lawsuit, which was filed on behalf of Jefferson Parish resident Norma Scales in district court, claims the company was aware of the dangers posed by the faulty devices "but failed to convey this information to the public including plaintiff."

DePuy Hip Replacement Legal Help

If you or a loved one have suffered losses in this case, please click the link below and your complaint will be sent to a drugs & medical lawyer who may evaluate your DePuy Hip Replacement claim at no cost or obligation.

Are you the defendant or a subject matter expert on this topic with an opposing viewpoint? We'd love to hear your comments here as well, or if you'd like to contact us for an interview please submit your details here.

LawyersandSettlements.com is an online news and information site for the general public and legal community. As a legal news resource, we have emerged as an independent & trusted voice. We provide detailed and quality information on various lawsuits filed including Defective Product Cases.